This years collection was officially launched at the office on 17th May, by Actress & Hospice Ambassador, Tina Kellegher with members of the committee present.
OUR NATIONAL COLLECTION DATES ARE 9TH & 10TH JUNE 2023.
Our volunteers will be collecting at the Market Square Mullingar on both dates and at many other locations around town. So, watch out for us & pop over and say hello to our many volunteers. Please support our worthy local charity which benefits the local people of North Westmeath. We are busy with preparations here at the office on Mary St Mullingar. So watch out for updates over the next few weeks!
THINK AHEAD-ADVANCE CARE PLANNING
Advance Care Planning packs are now available online, directly from the Irish Hospice Foundation at the following email address; http://thinkahead.ie
Remember your loved ones at Mullingar’s Remembrance Tree
The Mullingar Rotary Club together with the North Westmeath Hospice CLG, are once again hosting the annual Remembrance Tree event at Dominick Place, Mullingar. Members of the public are invited to place a yellow ribbon on the tree, to represent the precious memory of a loved one who has passed.
This event is now in its 14th Year; it will commence on Thursday 08th December and then straight through from Friday 16th to Saturday 24th December 2022. Members of Mullingar Rotary Club and the North Westmeath Hospice CLG will be in attendance at the familiar ‘White Hut’, beside the Tree.
It is a major fundraising initiative for both the North Westmeath Hospice CLG and The Rotary Club, to help with their work for the local Hospice and for local charities. A Mass & a Service will be held in January for all those whose names have been placed on the ribbons.
Pat Webb, Mullingar Rotary Club President, says that their funds raised will go towards local charities. Whilst Margaret Claffey Chairperson of the North Westmeath Hospice, says that their funds raised will be donated locally to the Hospice Specialist Palliative Service.
We hope to have a number of School Choirs and Bands located at the tree over the period to provide some festive cheer. We encourage all members of the local community to visit the tree and share memories of your loved ones. As in recent years people are able to donate by bank card or by the cash contribution into our donation box.
All those working on behalf of the Mullingar Rotary Club and the North Westmeath Hospice CLG, wish everyone in Mullingar a Very Happy Christmas and a Safe & Prosperous New Year.
Hampers for Hospice 2022- Thank you all!
Great hampers to be won, €5 per ticket or €50 per book. Tickets available from the office in Mary St, Mullingar or from Committee members. Ticket sales also at the Harbour Place Shopping Centre Mullingar on 01 Dec 2022 from 9-6. All proceeds to the North Westmeath Hospice.
Coffee morning social for hospice 2022
Thank you to the public who donated to the hospice, on 22nd & 23rd September on the Market Square Mullingar. Thank you to all who helped with the coffee and to those who donated cakes & treats for this event; to local schools & businesses who hosted coffee mornings for hospice & to our hospice branch in Delvin for all your hard work, we are truly grateful to you all. All donations made at local level, remain local with our Palliative Home Care Services.
Government funding for the new Midlands Regional Hospice
It was with great joy that the members of North Westmeath Hospice CLG heard the recent announcement by Taoiseach Micheal Martin that the government is committing €20 million in Capital Funding to the building of a Level 3 Hospice for the population of the Midlands Region. This facility will cater for all individuals in the area who need such care at the end of life. It will be a 20 bed unit situated in the grounds of the MRHospital Tullamore and the plan currently is for it to be completed in 2025.
This new Midlands Regional Hospice will be the hub and it will support the already excellent services which are provided in the community by the Local Palliative Care teams and Primary Care Teams.
North Westmeath Hospice CLG along with the voluntary Hospice Committees in South Westmeath, Longford Laois and Offaly have long advocated for this Level 3 Unit. These groups have also been supported by Tullamore Lions Club through their drive "Hooves for Hospice" where they have raised over €1 million towards the project.
A great tribute is due to the local fundraising groups and individuals, the medical staff and the politicians in the area for continuously striving to raise awareness and funds to achieve the best possible care for people in our communities and their families who need specialist Palliative Care at the end of life.
From 1990 to 2022 How Our End of Life Hospice Care Has Developed for Those who Need it in the Midlands
Since the early 1990's voluntary fundraising has been carried out to ensure that the people of the region are given the best possible end of life care. This work began with the employment of a Palliative Care Nurse in the Westmeath area funded entirely by voluntary donations. This has progressed to the development of a complete Community Care Palliative Care Team which is Consultant Lead. and now funded by the HSE and supported by the North Westmeath Hospice CLG. This Palliative Care Team works seamlessly with the Primary Care Teams, Hospitals and Nursing Homes in the area The Midlands remains the only place in the country which doesn't have a Level 3 Hospice Unit. Such a Facility ensures that patients get priority special care that meets their needs at the end of life and gives respite and support to their families.
On meeting the delegation from North Westmeath Hospice Stephen Donnelly Minister for Health fully acknowledged the tremendous work done by the 5 Fundraising Hospice Groups in the region. He realised that these fundraising efforts needed the support of the government therefore he sought their approval to commit €20 million to this work. The North Westmeath Hospice group is delighted that this work will now proceed and a Midlands Regional Hospice will be built and will cater for the needs of the region across all levels of end of life care . Due regard needs to be given to everyone who has worked tirelessly to achieve this goal. This would not have happened without every euro donated by the public, the volunteers, our public representatives, the medical and social care teams and above all the patients and their families. For the Midlands it's a Red Letter Day to know that those most in need will get the best care possible close to home at end of life.
Photo: Robert Troy TD, Teresa Collentine NWH Executive, Margaret Claffey NWH Chairperson, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, Veronica Larkin NWH Executive and John Shaw NWH Executive.
Photo Credit: John McCauley
Disability Booklet by local Author Breda Hussey
Our friend and colleague Breda Hussey, has created this booklet to raise awareness of the issues around disability. This is a cause close to Breda's heart and she is an advocate for those with disabilities. Breda has spent several months on this project which was recently published and will be available in the near future, for all members of the general public. We look forward to the official launch of this booklet and we will then share links with you, as to where you can get a copy. Breda hopes to roll it out in schools first and then to the wider community. Congratulations to Breda on getting her work published, yet again.
Fleadh Cheoil na HEireann 2023 in Mullingar
The North Westmeath Hospice, info@northwestmeathhospice.ie welcomes you all to the Fleadh 2023, which is taking place in Mullingar for the second year in a row. Please call in to the Office in Mary Street, if you would like information on what we do or if you would like to make a donation to our Palliative Care Services. All donations made locally stay locally. We look forward to greeting you, have a wonderful visit to Mullingar & most of all, enjoy the Fleadh.
Opening hours 9am to 3pm from Monday to Friday. (Closed on Bank Holiday Monday)
Local Launch for Bewley's Big Coffee Morning Social for Hospice 2022
The North Westmeath Hospice Ambassador & Actress Tina Kellegher, once again launched our Coffee Morning at our Office in Mary Street, Mullingar on 26th July. Thank you Tina for your continued support & thank you to Bewley's for their wonderful partnership, on this our 30th Anniversary 1992-2022!
The National Coffee Morning takes place this year on 22nd September. The North Westmeath Hospice will be collecting donations at the Market Square on 22nd & 23rd September. We will have our local 'Hot to Trot' coffee van there to supply you with coffee/tea in lieu of your donation. We look forward to seeing you there. Please come along to support as all donations raised locally stay locally with our Palliative Care Services.
Please contact info@northwestmeathhospice.ie if you would like to host your own coffee morning to raise funds for our vital Palliative Care Services. In the meantime, we will be reaching out to our loyal supporters in the next few weeks, local schools & businesses. Actor Brendan Gleeson with Veronica Larkin and host Teresa Collentine of North Westmeath Hospice at the launch of Bewley’s Big Coffee Morning Social for Hospice, one of Ireland’s biggest fundraisers, which this year celebrates its 30th anniversary. Register to host a coffee morning social on Thursday, September 22nd, or on a date that suits you, at: www.hospicecoffeemorning.ie or Callsave 0818 995 996. Picture: Conor McCabe.
Congratulations to Teresa Collentine, whose dedication and hard work with the hospice over the past 30 years, has been recognised at a National level by 'Together for Hospice'. We are very lucky to have Teresa's unwavering commitment on our Hospice Committee and on the Hospice Executive.
North Westmeath Hospice Christmas Cards (2022)
We are delighted to have in our festive Christmas Cards available in our office in packs of 12!
Each pack contains 12 beautifully designed, hand-picked Christmas cards (2 x 6 different designs)
